Review of Annihilation (2018) by Legitsalt — 25 Feb 2020

The only way this film doesn’t improve upon the previous entry in Garland’s oeuvre is regarding existentialism – if Ex Machina leaves the viewer questioning theirs and others’ identities, Annihilation leaves the viewer stunned, in surrealist horror and beauty.

Where this film excels is its presentation of the unknown, its worldbuilding. Annihilation presents its characters and audience with an unknown world, a scary world, and despite it being a world of secrets, we are let into it alongside Lena (Natalie Portman).

The visuals of the movie are very Lovecraftian and, in all but two or three scenes, they were incredibly well done and surreally real. The characters were well developed and cast. Despite lesser screen time, they all felt true to their scenarios and personalities.

Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina) returns in his second Alex Garland film, and, while he plays a smaller role this time, his performance and character are still pivotal to the film’s success. The film develops almost an air of McCarthyism to it, characters come to fear unknown creatures, secrets, entities, and forces.

The most stunning element of the film is the cinematography. “The Shimmer” provides some of the most alien and vibrant structures, flora, and fauna. Overall, this film merges some of the best elements of sci-fi, horror, and Lovecraftian fiction to create a truly unique piece.